Janet Wendleken, a retired detective constable from Nottingham police, has become the target of a coordinated online harassment campaign following her role in the investigation of former BBC presenter Alex Belfield. Wendleken, who spent much of her career addressing cases involving sexual abuse, domestic violence, and stalking, led the inquiry into Belfield’s cyberstalking activities in 2019. Belfield, 46, was ultimately sentenced in 2022 to five and a half years in prison for harassing several victims, including broadcaster Jeremy Vine.

After retiring to Costa Rica with her husband in 2022, Wendleken anticipated the matter was closed. However, Belfield, upon his release in June 2025, resumed targeting her via his social media account, alleging without evidence that she was “corrupt.” These claims were rapidly picked up by a group of online trolls, escalating into a sustained harassment campaign.

A key figure in this network is David Cartland, a former general practitioner who once had a following of more than 300,000 on social media. In October 2025, Cartland amplified Belfield’s accusations and shared extensive personal details about Wendleken and her husband, including their home and business information. He also alleged, without proof, that they fled the UK due to bankruptcy and corruption, encouraging his followers to harass them. Cartland and five other men—some using real names and others anonymous—have reportedly spent the last six years targeting medical professionals, media personnel, and members of the public, linked by shared anti-vaccination views.

Despite Cartland being struck off by the General Medical Council (GMC), no stalking charges have been brought against him. His group has continued to harass victims online, using social media attacks, doxing, and contacting employers to demand dismissals.

Wendleken described the harassment as relentless and invasive. “It is the same as physical stalking in my opinion, but worse because everybody’s life is on social media and you take it home with you,” she said. She reported Belfield’s renewed harassment to Nottinghamshire Police, contributing to his recall to prison in February 2026, but the harassment from Cartland’s network has persisted. Despite reporting Cartland to Devon and Cornwall Police, Wendleken has yet to receive a response, expressing profound disappointment with the authorities’ handling of the matter.

The case underscores a broader rise in stalking offences in the UK, which have increased sharply in recent years, partly attributed to growing online activity. Experts warn that social media platforms often fail to adequately address abuse, allowing harassers to evade bans and sustain their campaigns.

Demelza Reaver, a specialist at The Cyber Helpline, a charity supporting victims of online harassment, characterized such abuse as an ongoing pattern of harm that extends beyond the internet. “Victim-survivors may be targeted across multiple platforms, have their personal information exposed, their workplaces contacted, or their family members and friends drawn into the abuse,” she said. Over time, she added, online stalking can seriously disrupt victims’ reputations, income, relationships, and sense of safety.

Wendleken is not the first to come forward about Cartland’s harassment. At least five previous victims reported the former doctor to the GMC after police reportedly failed to act. While this led to his removal from the medical register and the Disclosure and Barring Service, it had little impact on his role in ongoing online abuse campaigns targeting others.